EA Reveals E3 Lineup:

EA is the latest publisher to drop us a line with their E3 lineup: and it's one of the most impressive so far. There's a good mix of balls-out action, horror and more balls-out action, with a sprinkling of sims and Wii fitness thrown in for good measure. For your consideration:

Medal of Honor,

Need for Speed

Dead Space 2

EA SPORTS Active 2

The Sims 3 (for consoles)

EA SPORTS MMA

Crysis 2

Bulletstorm

Excited to see their lineup in action? Their media briefing can be viewed live at www.ea.com/e3 at 11.00pm this Monday.

Halo 3 Has Outsold Six Top PS3 Exclusives Combined...

Okay, folks- this one might be a little controversial. Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg has come out swinging into the pre-E3 trash talking arena by twittering that Halo 3 has sold six of the top Playstation 3 exclusives... combined.

"Just in from research team (NPD): Halo 3 has outsold Resistance 1 + 2, Uncharted 1+2, Killzone 2 and God of War III COMBINED....wow"

It's an impressive statistic, but I would be interested to see the as yet unreported NPD data before making a call on this one (as well as worldwide sales data). Frankly, I think Greenburg may be missing the point. Halo 3 may have sold phenomenally well, but it's still one exclusive compared to six. Microsoft may have won this battle- but I fear the console war will be ultimately decided by the number of first party exclusives that each brand brings to the table. [@aarongreenberg via Gamesindustry]

Rock Band 3 Keytar Prototype and Pro Mode Revealed

Rock Band 3 has been teasing us with tantalising little details every now and again, but USA Today has finally brought us the full scoop on Rock Band 3's Pro Mode, keyboard peripheral and partial setlist. And it's looking very exciting indeed.

First up, let's take a look at the Keytar. Whilst the model shown above is only a working prototype, we're overjoyed to see that it has two octaves of full-sized keys and what appears to be a 'pitch bend' flick switch on the handle. With any luck, it could actually be be used as a functional MIDI keyboard with the right software support (or homebrew app). As a keyboard player myself, I'm looking forward to seeing how well it integrates with the traditional dynamics.

Now for the setlist. The few confirmed thus far are a mixed bag, containing a few bona fide classics (such as Whitesnake's Here I Go Again and The Power of Love by Huey Lewis) and a mix of different styles. I still don't know whether Bohemian Rhapsody will stand up to repeated playthroughs, but hell, we can't wait to give it a go!

Finally, Harmonix have revealed the Pro Mode, which might well be the most exciting feature so far. This hardcore gametype will replace the traditional scrolling gems with more realistic musical notation (including guitar tab), essentially granting the game more credibility amongst serious musicians as well as teaching very basic musical theory to newcomers. Two new peripherals will take advantage of the Pro Mode, including a full-size, fully-functional Fender Squier Strat. Err... that's pretty much killed Power Gig then...

They're also throwing in 7-player band sessions, improved drums and cymbals, better story mode and character progression... basically, the way things are shaping up, Rock Band 3 might well be the most comprehensive music game ever made. And the last you'll ever need. [USA Today]

Valve Crush our Hopes and Dreams... Again

Just in case we all weren't miserable enough when we found out that Episode 3 wouldn't be making an appearance at E3, Valve has decided to let us all know that Portal 2 has been delayed until next year. Thanks a bunch, guys.

Still, at least we have their E3 "surprise" to look forward to... but the way things are going, they'll probably reveal that they've killed Santa, cancelled Christmas and eloped with our partners.